The Grenada gazette., 1887-11-05
COWS IN WINTER.
Advantage of Watering Them in the
Ih' gable During Cold Weather.


'n' sable During Cold Weather.
- doirymon realized the advantage
=. he gained by watering their cows in
So stable during WINTER many more
W y them would arrange to do this.
Thore n can be no doubt that the expense
tvintering a dairy is much increased
w " defective arrangement for water
;.c We know that the animal heat is
tent g up by the food consumed, and
hat the colder the weather the more
hod is required to accomplish this.
The exposure of COWS for an hour or
,uo on cold days in getting water
.suses the consumption and loss of
many dollars worth of food during
,he winter Besides, it is much better
,hot animals should be able to
drink without interference from
others. and this can be done only by
conducting the water before the an
;nal as it stands in its stall. There
have been many devices for this pur-
nose some very expensive, but the
simplest and cheapest plan we know
is trough placed directly in front of
the Sanctions and under the floor of
the manger. This trough may be made
Of iron or of two planks nailed togeth-
er in shape of a V. The plank may
be of pine, ten inches and twelve inches
wide. This trough should be the
whole length of the feeding floor or
stable, and the sections may be halved
together and made tight with white
lead. 1t should have just fall enough
for the water 10 run, say one inch to
fifty feet; any surplus to be drawn off
at the lower end into a drain, which
must not get obstructed. The cover to
this trough will be part of the floor
OF the manger. Some use the trough
to sIop the cows in, as well as to water
them, but in such cases it is a little
more trouble TO keep it clean.
In this arrangement the bottom of
the manger is on q level with the
feeding floor, and two feet from the
Sanctions plank eight inches wide
IS set up edgewise. to prevent the
COWS from pushing away their feed.
It will be seen that this trough, or
naugcr, can be swept the whole
ength very quickly, and thus easily
,ept clean. The lid of this trough
s twelve inches wide. and there is q
trip four inches wide between the lid
md stanchions, so the COW can easily
.et her head into the trough. With a
eeding floor eighty feet long, and a
table upon each side, and one of
hese watering troughs in each,
lightly feet long, twonty-four cows in
ach stable may all be watered in ten
linutes. The lids are opened and
he water let in at the highest end
rom cock discharging 4 one and a
alf inch stream, which runs along
le trough and is drank by each
nimal rs it passes. When the
ows have fin ished drinking, the sur
lus water is drawn off and the lids
nut. This enables each COW to drink
5 quietly rs she takes her feed, and
atering them twice a day can be done
ith less labor than one watering by
le old method.
To some. the difficulty of obtaining
ater to run these troughs in the
able will seem insuperable. Our
able is situated in the basement of y
arn, but on the lower side is not be-
w the surface of the ground. On the
lnny side we light it with four large
indows. Fifty feet to the north, on
evated ground, we have reservoir
'lding $4,000 gallons. The bottom
this reservoir is about one foot
wer than the watering troughs in
e stable. This reservoir is tapped rs
W down rs the water will run to the
oughs in the stable, by two
ch gas pipe, with cock to draw !
ater for each trough, and also
lother in the center of the feeding |
'or to draw water for mixing slops
ID for other purposes in the stable.
lis brings the water to the animals
stead of taking the animal S to the
lter.
The advantages of watering in the
lble will be found to much more
al compensate for all tho labor and
pense. In this case the COWS need
let out for exercise and air only.
d this will not require to let them
t on stormy days, but only in pleas
t weather.
Cows are much better off in warm
lble, well ventilated, in cold stormy
,athcr, than to be turncd out for
veral hours, to 60 off some distance
drink at spring or stream. or
cn at a trough in yard. There is
necessity, in the health of COW,
give her exercise in the open air
cry day. and economy requires that
0 should only be let out on pleasant
US and returned to the stable before
e gets chilled. The first winter will
en pay for tho whole outlay in the bet
condition of the COWS. and we think
10 the saving in labor sufficient com.
nsation for the outlay. -Nattonal
re- Stock Journal.